ZACK MITCHELL

A daily ritual for me (and I’m sure for most people) is that all-too-important morning cup of coffee. I frequent my local Starbucks Coffee shop, order my usual—tall dark roast—and leave enjoying that fresh hot cup of Joe. Without that, my day would cease to even begin. Because of the frequency in which I patron that local Starbucks, I soon become a regular there and began to develop a friendship with the employees. Living in LA, I know all too well the hardships of being able to afford this city, so I tend to leave a generous tip. That got me thinking about how well a huge corporation like Starbucks recognizes their employees, if at all. Having worked at a contract manufacturer, I learned quickly that having your work appreciated is crucial for the overall happiness of the employee. When the employee is happy and recognized for their work, they are more efficient at their job, which increases the desire to continue doing good work for the company, which in turn, increases the productivity of the company as a whole. We are all a cog in the machine, and if one cog isn’t running at peak efficiency, the machine no longer functions at its best. I decided to create an appreciation gift for employees who have shown dedication to their jobs and deserve to be recongnized for their loyalty. I started with thinking about travel bartending kits that contain all the things you need to make a well-crafted cocktail, but redesign it for the coffee lover. My process for this creation was developed over time (and over many cups of coffee) to eventually create a compact kit with a unique design. Two boxes encased in an outer wrap. The top box holds the travel-size French Press, which doubles as a handle for the kit. The material used to create all the packaging itself is a special paper made from coffee grounds, making this gift eco-friendly, unique, and desireable.